# What You'll Need:
→ Cake
01 - 1 box (15 oz) vanilla or chocolate cake mix (plus ingredients as per package: eggs, oil, water)
02 - Or 1 homemade 9-inch cake, fully cooled
→ Frosting
03 - 1/2 cup cream cheese frosting or buttercream frosting
→ Coating & Decoration
04 - 12 oz candy melts in school colors or white chocolate with food coloring
05 - 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening (optional, for thinning chocolate)
06 - Sprinkles, edible glitter, or colored sugar in coordinating colors
07 - 24 lollipop sticks
08 - 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (for tassels or accents)
09 - Fondant in school colors (optional, for cap decorations)
# Directions:
01 - Prepare cake mix or homemade cake according to instructions. Allow to cool completely before proceeding.
02 - Transfer cooled cake to a large mixing bowl and crumble into fine, even crumbs.
03 - Mix in cream cheese or buttercream frosting, blending until the mixture binds when pressed. Do not over saturate.
04 - Measure and roll tablespoon-sized portions into 24 uniform balls.
05 - Place balls on a lined baking sheet, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or freeze for 20 minutes.
06 - Melt candy melts or chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring until smooth. Add vegetable shortening if needed to thin consistency.
07 - Dip the tip of each stick in melted chocolate, then insert halfway into each chilled cake ball.
08 - Fully immerse each cake pop into melted coating. Gently tap to remove excess.
09 - While coating is fresh, add sprinkles and colored sugar. For graduation caps, press fondant square atop and secure mini chocolate chip as tassel with a dab of melted chocolate.
10 - Stand cake pops upright in styrofoam block or cake pop stand. Allow coating to harden fully before serving.
